HONOLULU – The Hawai‘i Symphony Orchestra (HSO) will close its 2014-2015 Halekulani Masterworks season in June with a world premiere performance featuring ‘ukulele superstar Jake Shimabukuro.The concert, entitled “Season Finale with JoAnn & Jake,” will take place Saturday, June 6 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, June 7 at 4 p.m. HSO Artistic Advisor JoAnn Falletta will return to lead the orchestra in this exciting program, which begins with the three-part Concerto for ‘Ukulele and Orchestra, Campanella – a world premiere composed by Dr. Byron Yasui. The piece was commissioned by the HSO with support from the Mayor’s Office of Culture and the Arts (MOCA). Dr. Yasui, professor emeritus at the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, wrote the concerto specifically with his former student Shimabukuro in mind, giving it the nickname “Concerto for Jake.”

Shimabukuro is already scheduled to perform the concerto this fall with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra, Virginia Symphony Orchestra and the Buffalo Philharmonic.

The second half of the program will feature Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No.1, Titan. Composed in 1888, the four-movement piece was inspired by Jean-Paul Richter's novel Titan, a personal favorite of Mahler's. However, in 1896, he told a friend that his First Symphony had been inspired by "a passionate love." Mahler wrote the piece for a large orchestra of nearly 100 members, including seven French horns, four trumpets and eight timpani.

Both programs will be performed at the Neal Blaisdell Concert Hall. Ticket-holders are invited to attend Concert Conversations with the guest artists beginning one hour before the performance in the concert hall. Concert Conversations include a question and answer style interview with HSO concertmaster Iggy Jang, followed by questions from the audience.

Tickets start at $32 and are available at hisymphony.org and ticketmaster.com or by calling 94MUSIC. A special $125 VIP package is available for Saturday night only through the HSO website and box office, which includes a pre-concert party at the Honolulu Club, premium seating and free parking. With a valid ID, $13 student tickets and $20 military tickets are available beginning Monday, June 1. Tickets may also be purchased in person at the HSO Box Office, 3610 Waialae Avenue, or the Blaisdell Box Office, 777 Ward Avenue.

Season Finale with JoAnn & Jake is sponsored by Bank of Hawaii, with guest artist sponsor the John Young Foundation.

About the Hawaii Symphony Orchestra The Hawaii Symphony Orchestra was founded in 2011 and made its debut in 2012. The new HSO carries on the legacy of the Honolulu Symphony, which was founded in 1900 and performed for more than a century. The orchestra employs 84 professional musicians and presents classical masterworks, pops, educational and community programs. The mission of the Hawaii Symphony Orchestra is to present the highest-quality performances of great music, bringing national and international distinction to the orchestra and its community; to delight and educate audiences of all ages and backgrounds, and enhance the cultural vitality and quality of life in these Islands; and to operate in a financially sound manner.